Beach Hut 16

We have had a host of angels over the last week because in the Christmas story angels crop up a number of times and hut 195 was no exception as we turned up to see Anne-Marie's interpretation of this theme.

The decoration outside the hut almost outshone the inside as it featured two large herald angels and a golden centrepiece. Inside we were presented with a simple little stable underneath an enormous guiding star. Everything was set off by a rich red backdrop with yet more angels silhouetted in the sky above the scene.


The evening was calm, clear and cold, quite a contrast to some of the evenings we've had so far but hopefully a sign of the weather to come as we head in to our last week of huts and our final gathering on Christmas Eve.

Throughout our journey towards Christmas we've been collecting photographs of some of the faces who have come to see the installations and on Christmas Eve we plan to collage these all together to form our own heavenly host of those who have joined us on this Christmas pilgrimage this year.

Hut 177 will be your next chance to join in with this - come and have your photo taken so you can join our heavenly throng.

Beach Hut 15

Tonight we got our first hint that the wise men were on their way. Hut 11 featured a desert landscape with two camels winding their way through the hills towards a special star shining in the east.


Although we always talk about there being three kings, actually the Bible doesn't say how many there were and it is just assumed because they brought three gifts. We'll be hearing more about the gifts later in the advent calendar.

Amanda and Brian put this hut together - they have developed a reputation for creative ideas with their hut during the beach hut advent calendar. They particularly seem to like covering the floor having carpeted it with cotton wool sheep and creating a set of stairs in our previous calendars. Tonight it was covered in quite a few bags of sand which will make it's way to the beach sometime soon.

This is the last hut by Hove Lawns as all the rest of our huts are East of the King Alfred leisure centre. The next hut is number 195.

Beach Hut 14

Sheep were much in evidence tonight as this was the theme as we draw closer to the birth of Jesus.

John & Mandy Taylor and friends had produced a number of knitted sheep who were hung around the hut as though grazing across the hills. Mandy had actually been out onto the Sussex Downs and photographed sheep so that she could accurately portray them in her hut, and each image was based upon an actual sheep. A group of friends then knitted squares from a variety of different types of wool which were assembled into the final wooly portraits.

There were a few quotations added to the installation and during the evening these were added to with spoken words by Catriona who had written some poems which she also performed from inside the hut as everyone crowded round to hear.

Tonight we not only had a stiff wind to contend with but also some major thunderstorms flashing away out to sea although fortunately none of these came to shore to bother us.


This was just as well because halfway through the proceedings, local all-female Morris dancing troupe, Cuckoos Nest performed for us. Avoiding the pebbles which had been washed up onto the prom by the previous nights storm, they did four dances for us, including two which involved quite violent stick wielding, made all the more impressive because it was so dark that they must have had trouble seeing clearly.

The next hut is by Hove Lawns just like tonight's and is number 11 (NOT 399 as appeared on some of the publicity in error).

Beach Hut 13

After last night's storm with it's high winds and rain it was interesting to return to beach hut 399 to discover that the hut next to it had been swept away overnight. It was definitely there last night but today there was no sign that a hut had ever been on that space, you can see the gap in our photo above.

This was symbolic of the story we saw enacted on the windy seafront as Janina and her trusty 'Elastic Band' performed a little musical entitled 'Mary's Story'. Mary had a stormy life from the moment she agreed to be the handmaid of the Lord and the mother of Jesus and this was beautifully brought to life by the players tonight. They set up hut 399 as a squat for the homeless couple, bringing home the reality for these two left wandering the streets with nowhere to rest.


Even when they found the stable their relationship was troubled as they bickered about the circumstances that had brought them to this place. The acting was interspersed with songs written by Janina especially for tonight which she also accompanied in the freezing wind on her ukelele.

There were some charming and poignant moments, especially when one of the performers leaned into the scene to hold a little lighted star for Mary to gaze at as she prepared for the birth.

We will look for another opportunity to stage to stage this so that a wider audience gets to see it and hopefully we can find a clear night when there's no rain or wind, although that might be a bit hopeful this deep into the winter!

The next hut is down by Hove Lagoon - number 44 which will feature illustrators and a troupe of all-female Morris Dancers.

Beach Hut 12

The 1st Hove Girl's Brigade put on a great event tonight in hut 381 despite the very windy conditions and the threat of a major storm which fortunately didn't start until after we'd finished.

A good number still came out to support the girls who managed to cram themselves inside the hut which was already pretty full with a manger as this was the theme for tonight. The girls stood around emulating the last line of Once in Royal David's City but singing a whole range of carols for us to join in with.


The baby stayed in his manger all wrapped up in straw, although maybe a safeguarding officer would have something to say about putting a lamb in the cot alongside the baby, no matter how warm it kept him!




The whole image was finished off with a sombrero to remind us of the inspiration for this advent journey - Las Posadas.

Next hut is 399 up by the lagoon and promises to be exciting as Janina has written some music especially for the occasion and has a number of people coming to help her perform this for the first time in public on the 13th.

Beach Hut 11

Tonight was quite different from our other nights as it not only featured a decorated hut but also a series of performances by local poets. Tamsin Williams organised everything and arranged for hut 168 to be a reflection of a very naturalistic stable. Decorated with natural materials which could have been sourced from the countryside around the hut had a very rustic look with natural flowers, berries and lots of ivy.

Tamsin's local poets group had been working on material specifically for this event and they gathered inside the hut to perform these for everyone.

A lot of people wanted to see and hear the performances and they crowded in to the hut as the poems were recited.

Everything went brilliantly until about 6.20 when unfortunately the heavens opened and it not only poured with rain but was also extremely cold and windy. That dispersed the crowd pretty quickly and brought a premature end to a very interesting night.


The next hut is number 381 and is being done by the 1st Hove Girls Brigade who will also be singing some carols.

Beach Hut 10

Tonight was another installment in our series on angels as we try to get close to the multitudes that are described in the Christmas stories in the Bible.

Rosie and her family put together a very stylish hut focussing on the wings of the angel Gabriel, suspended as if by magic in a dark sky. This was very much in contrast to this evening's night sky which was brightly lit by a full moon and was the clearest and calmest evening we've had so far.

The wings hung in the air and slowly turned, glinting in the light and moving from black silhouette to golden shine with every revolution.

The hut itself was coated in gold and above the doors was a verse from Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2 - Do not forget to show kindness and hospitality to strangers, for some have done so and welcomed angels without knowing it.

There were some angels going round in the crowd as well, offering people chocolate coins to go with their mince pies and mulled wine. In the Christmas story angels appear as magical beings singing to the shepherds on the hills or announcing news to Mary or Joseph, but more often than not in the Bible they appear as ordinary people, unrecognised by some but visible to those with faith as messengers of God.

Next hut is 168 and will feature poetry readings especially written for the night.

Beach Hut 9

Hut 395 reminded us of the Las Posadas theme that started us on our journey to Bethlehem with an enormous Mexican styled angel which completely filled the hut.

The space was so filled with angel that the light decorations had to spill out beyond the hut onto the floor in front and be suspended from a jib attached to the roof that jutted out giving a festive light display of colourful lanterns.


The floor was a sea of poinsettias placed on a bright stripy Mexican style rug and reminding us of our first night when St. Christopher's school taught us the story of the miracle of how these plants came to be associated with Christmas.


We even had a Mexican guest on hand, complete with sombrero and moustache and alongside the usual mulled wine and mince pies we were served empanadas in a variety of flavours.


Star shaped pinatas around the head of the angel and the words Angelos Cantado Estan (the angels sing) helped us to realise that every culture has their understanding of angels and God which don't necessarily centre around pure white and gold starlight as they do here in the UK.


As is always true every night, it was the children who gazed on the scene with awe and amazement who directed our thoughts to the wonder and beauty of a God who came to earth as a child on that first Christmas day.

Next up is hut 402 which is going to focus on a particular angel.

Beach Hut 8

While the folks in Scotland were being told to stay indoors because of the strong winds, us hardy southerners set out for the beach for the latest hut in our journey to Christmas. The wind blew and for a short time the rain came down but that didn't deter the brave souls who came out tonight wrapped up against the harsh weather or swaddling themselves in blankets a beautiful shade of Maryan blue.

Our destination tonight was Bethlehem and Felicity and her gang at the White House produced a beautiful village scene with little houses made out of modelling clay (which was just as well as anything lighter would have blown away!).

Inside each house was a little light flickering in welcome. All the houses sat on a bed of sand which was lit a golden yellow by the street light just in front of hut 403, making the scene look almost sunny.

We were fortunate to have the use tonight of hut 402 as well because this was needed for shelter on occasion. This will feature again on Saturday night when we're hoping we won't have to use 403 as shelter in the same way!

Our next hut is very close to this one so is still up by Hove Lagoon as it is number 395.